We get it. Thanks g. isn’t a Jewish holiday. You’re only supposed to celebrate one night. This isn’t Rosh or Passover… We don’t care. We’ve adopted a tradition of doing 2nd night thanks g. It’s not family, just friends. There’s no turkey, just a full on fall menu.
Here’s what we made this year:
Arugula Salad with Persimmon, Fennel, and Pomegranate
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Radicchio
Roasted Cod with Candied Quince and Spinach
Ginger Garlic Brussles Sprouts (Zucker staple)
Beets and String Beans
Cranberry Sauce (this dish keeps my parents married)
Roast Loin of Veal w/ Cognac and Shallot Vinaigrette
For the life of us, my mother and I can’t remember what we made for dessert and there’s this mysterious pot of whipped cream that shows of in some of the pictures… Anyone?

Arugula Salad with Persimmon, Fennel, and Pomegranate

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
½ lb arugula
2 persimmons, sliced (we like hachiya persimmons – the acorn shaped one)
1 bulb fennel, sliced
1 pomegranate, seeds of
2 T fig balsamic vinegar
¼ c olive oil
¼ c pecan flour (just drop pecans into food processor until flour like consistency)
salt
pepper

Procedure:
Plate some arugula. Layer a few slices of persimmon on top of each arugula bed. Add a few slices of the fennel. Sprinkle some pomegranate seeds on top. The dust with some pecan flour. Drizzle some of the balsamic and olive oil on each plate. Finish with a small pinch of salt and pepper on each. Serve.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

(inspired by NYTimes recipe)
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1 5-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 c flour
1 T salt (at least)
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium onion, finely chopped
2 small head radicchio, sliced into ¼” strips (about 2 cups)
2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Procedure:
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, eggs, flour and 1 T salt. Mix well to make the gnocchi batter.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about five minutes; remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large pot, boil water. When the water comes to a boil, salt it. Using a teaspoon (or two), scoop up the dough and form a dumpling, then slide the dumpling off the spoon and drop it into the boiling water.

Continue forming dumplings until the pot will hold an even layer of them. When the dumplings are ready, they will float to the top of the water.

Then lower the heat to medium low and simmer for about four minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the saucepan with the onion. Repeat with the remaining dumpling dough until they are all cooked.

Return the saucepan with the onion and gnocchi to medium-high heat. Toss in the radicchio and stir gently until wilted, about two minutes; season with more salt and pepper to taste. Top with the parsley. TOSS! Serve.

Roasted Cod with Quince and Spinach

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
2 lbs cod
2 lbs quince
1 c sugar
2 lemons
1 T butter
1 lb spinach
olive oil
salt
pepper
extra lemons on hand
Procedure:
Fill a bowl with water and add slices of lemon to it. Peel, core, and chop the quince. Add to lemon water.
In a saucepan, heat 1½ c water and add the sugar and juice of a lemon on med high. When boiling, transfer quince from cold lemon water to boiling sugar water. Cook until tender (about 15 min.). Remove from heat and let cool. The quince will now be in a syrupy liquid.
Preheat oven to 425. SWOOPS the cod filets. Place on foil lined tray and roast for 10-15 min until flaky. Do NOT overcook the fish.
Heat olive oil in a pan on med high heat. Add spinach and saute until wilted. Season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Plate a bed of spinach on each. Place a cod fillet on top and spoon some of the quince on top.

Ginger Garlic Brussles Sprouts

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1 carton brussels sprouts
2 T fresh ginger root, chopped
2 T garlic, chopped
2 T olive oil
salt
pepper
1 lemon

Procedure:
Cut off root end of each sprout and peel leaves off until you’re left with a little yellow cabbage head. Discard middle cabbage head and keep outer leaves. Rinse leaves in a colander; shake to drain, but not completely dry.
Heat oil in a skillet on medium high heat.
Add sprouts, and cook 1-2 min until bright green. Add ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook another 4 min. Transfer to a serving platter and squeeze some lemon juice on top.

Roast Beets and String Beans

Serves 6-8
6 medium beets, roasted, peeled, and cut into ½” cubes
6 oz string beans, boiled for 2 min.
¼ c dill, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T mustard
2 T red wine vinegar
¼ c olive oil
salt and pepper

Procedure:
In a small bowl whisk together the mustard,garlic, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and whisk until a creamy consistency is achieved.
in a large bowl add the beets, string beans, and dill. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables.
TOSS, TOSS, TOSS.

Betti’s Cranberry Sauce

Serves: not enough according to Dad (but about 6-8)
Ingredients:
1 12 oz bag fresh cranberries
4 T orange juice
4 T red wine
2″ vanilla bean, split
1 apple, peeled, cored, chopped
2 T sugar
1 lemon, zest of

Procedure:
In a large sauce pan, cook the cranberries, OJ, wine, sugar, lemon zest, and apples over medium low heat until the cranberries pop (the skins will split). Add the vanilla bean and simmer for five more minutes. Let cool to room temp and serve.

Roast Loin of Veal w/ Cognac and Shallot Vinaigrette

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1 loin of veal (2.5 lbs. eye of the round)
3 sprigs thyme
olive oil
salt
pepper
3 T cognac
3 T walnut oil
3 T shallots, minced
1 T thyme, chopped
3 T parsley, chopped
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 375.
Season loin with salt, pepper, and thyme. In a heavy saute pan (that the veal fits in), heat olive oil. Add veal and saute until golden on all sides, searing so the juices seal.
Transfer loin to a roasting pan and put in oven. (You can line with foil for easy clean up but not necessary to cook.) Roast until medium rare (about 10 min).
Remove from oven, set aside, cover with foil.
Whisk vinaigrette ingredients. Deglaze saute pan (add ingredients to the pan and keep on very low heat).
Slice veal, pour vinaigrette on top.